USA > Oregon > Douglas County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 58
USA > Oregon > Jackson County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 58
USA > Oregon > Josephine County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 58
USA > Oregon > Coos County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 58
USA > Oregon > Curry County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 58
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There are, taken all together, seven general mercantile houses, two hardware stores, each having a tin shop attached, two flouring mills, three hotels, one bank, three black- smith shops, two drug stores, four variety stores, two jewelers, three millinery shops, two butcher shops, two livery stables, two cabinet shops, three grocery stores, two restaurants, twelve saloons, two barber shops, two bakeries, six physicians, two dentists, ten lawyers, one foundry, one brewery, one photograph gallery, two shoe-maker shops, one marble cutter, and several wash houses. The above is not a bad record of business for a city containing but one thousand inhabitants, all told. The United States Land Office is at Roseburg. It was moved, as before remarked, from Winchester in 1859. The old land office building still stands under an immense willow tree, on the north side of Douglas street, between Rose and Jackson. In 1879 the land office was removed to its elegant quarters in the brick block of S. Marks & Co., and the old building is valuable for little else, now, than a relic of bygone days. The officers who have presided in the land office are as follows : L. F. Mosher, Register, and Colonel Martin, Receiver ; John Kelly and Mr. Briggs; W. R. Willis and B. Hermann ; W. R. Willis and J. C. Fuller-
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SOUTHERN OREGON.
ton. All of whom, except one, are no longer connected with the office. The present officers are Hon. W. F. Benjamin and Hon. J. C. Fullerton, both of whom are affable and competent gentlemen. The United States Signal Office was established in 1876, and placed in charge of Sergeant John Dascomb. Sergeant J. J. Nanery is now in charge. The barometer is just 537 feet above the level of the sea, and an inspection of the records there shows the following entries for 1883: Mean of highest observations of barometer, 30.052; mean of lowest, 28.839 ; annual mean, 29.539. Mean of highest thermometer readings during the year, 93º; mean of lowest, 9.4; mean for the year 51.8°. Total rainfall for "rainy" Oregon during 1883 was 22.48 inches. [For previous years see page 300.] We challenge the world to show a more salubrious climate, a more desirable range of barometer or thermometer, or more favorable conditions gen- erally for health and happiness. Aaron Rose could not have selected a more favorable place for a city. The Post office is in the brick store of H. C. Stanton, the post master.
In the spring of 1882, the Oregon & California Railroad Company began the extension of their road south, and it was not many months before the terminus at Rose- burg was a thing of the past. In 1883, however, the company built a three-stall round house just sonth of the depot, and made this the end of a division. The Oregon and California stage, with its six milk white steeds, and heavy loads of freight, mail and passen- gers, and the lumbering freight wagons, with their long teams of horses and jingling bells, are now but a memory in Roseburg. While it is true that Roseburg has lost the extreme Southern Oregon trade, it is generally believed that what she has lost by the extension is a small affair, compared to what she will gain by the build- ing of the Roseburg and Coos bay railroad, which, it is predicted, will, at least, be com- menced the present year. We join them in the hope that the prediction may be veri- fied. The depot building, and depot warehouses-and we hope the company will soon give a better depot-and four large private warehouses are on the depot grounds. They are owned by the estate of J. C. Floed, the Grange Business Association, Abraham & Company, and S. Marks & Company. Immense quantities of grain and wool are shipped from these warehouses yearly. In the year 1883, which was not an extraordinary year by any means, the following amounts were shipped :
Grange Business Association
Wool-lbs. 291,088
Grain-bu.
55,000
S. Marks & Co
162,822
45,703
Abraham & Co
25,000
Total
120,000 573,910 125,703
When the rich bottom lands of Douglas county shall be farmed on scientific prin- ciples, even larger warehouses will be needed at Roseburg, and the above large figures will be multiplied. This, of course, does not represent the entire exports from Rose- burg, but will suffice to indicate how the commerce has grown from the barter of Uncle Aaron Rose, in his clapboard shanty. The old gentleman has never ceased to give to objects which might be a benefit to Roseburg. He gave the depot grounds to the rail- road company and the right of way over his land, and sold them, for a song almost, gravel to ballast their road. Long ago he moved from his first location, and now occu- pies a neat and comfortable little cottage on the top of an eminence south of town, from which the whole valley can easily be seen. He has ample means to live easily
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DOUGLAS COUNTY.
and no longer worries himself with the cares of business. May his declining years continue to flow gently and peacefully on until they mingle with timeless eternity.
There are five church edifices in the city-the Methodist Episcopal South, on Washington street, between Rose and Stephens; the Roman Catholic, on Washington street, north of Main ; the Episcopal, on Main street, between Washington and Oak ; the Methodist Episcopal, on Main street, between Oak and Lane; and the Presbyterian, on Rose street, south of Oak.
Umpqua R. A. Chapter No. 11., was organized September 10, 1874, agreeable to a petition of the following named Royal Arch Masons: Thomas H. Cox, G. M. Stroud, Asher Marks, John Lehnherr, Louis Belfils, N. P. Bunnell, Thos. J. Beale, J. J. Com- stock, A. G. Brown; when the following named companions were empowered to act as the Chief Officers: T. H. Cox, as H. P. ; A. G. Brown, as K .; N. P. Bunnell, as S., the temporary organized Chapter continued its labors until May 25, and at the June session of the Grand Chapter, a charter was granted, and in September of the same year the Grand Chapter officers convened in Roseburg, and in due form organized and consecrated Umpqua Chapter, and the following were elected as the principal officers: Thos. H. Cox as H. P .; N. P. Bunnell as K .; Thos. J. Beale as S .; H. Abraham as T .; W. I. Friedlander as Sec. Up to that date 24 members were enrolled. The Chapter now has 50 members.
Laural Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M., was chartered June 18, 1857. First officers : John Dillard, W. M. ; James J. Patton, S. W .; James Odle, J. W .; C. P. Stratton, S. The present officers are: Binger Hermann, W. M .; A. A. Engles, S. W .; R. M. Davis, J. W .; J. P. Duncan, Sec. The present membership is 51. Meets Wednesday on or immediately preceding the full moon of each month.
Union Encampment, No. 9, I. O. O. F., meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
Philetarian Lodge, No. 8, I. O. O. F., was organized by Samuel E. May on the ninth of February, 1859, with Rufus Mallory, J. H. Choyuski, J. Q. Vanderborlo, Joel Thorn, C. Gaddis and E. S. Kearney as charter members. The first officers were : Rufus Mallory, N. G .; J. Q. Vanderborlo, V. G .: C. Gaddis, Sec. ; Joel Thorn, Treas. The only one of these gentlemen now residing in Roseburg is Mr. Gaddis, and he also assisted in the institution of Chemeketa Lodge, No. 1, the first to be organized in Oregon. The present membership is thirty, and the officers for the current term are : A. C. Marks, N. G .; W. H. Moore, V. G .; E. G. Hursh, Sec. ; L. Belfils, Treas.
Roseburg Lodge, No. 16, A. O. U. W., was organized August 5, 1880, by Warren S. White, of Portland, with thirteen charter members and the following officers : J. M. F. Brown, P. M. W .; J. W. Strange, M. W .; P. Benedict, G. F .; C. W. Castle, O .; R. Newcomb, Reed. T .; S. Roademan, Fin. ; Henry Gates, Reev. ; C. Y. Benjamin, G. ; J. F. W. Sanbert, I. G .; S. B. Higley, O. G .; J. M. F. Brown, M. E. The pres- ent membership of the lodge is forty-five.
Roseburg Lodge, No. 387, I. O. G. T., was organized September 8, 1882, by Dr. E. Jessup, G. W. C. T., with twenty-four charter members. The present officers are : W. F. Owens, W. C. T .; Mrs. A. Jones, W. V. T .; H. S. Strange, W. S .; P. Mat- thews, W. F. S .; Mamie Jones, W. T .; A. W. Stemmons, W. M. ; W. P. Webb, W. C .; C. Gaddis, D. D.
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SOUTHERN OREGON.
Douglas county District Lodge, I. O. G. T., was organized by Will C. King, G. W. C. T. January 23, 1884, with fifteen members, and the following officers : H. Rogers, D. C. T .; Mrs. B. A. Cathey, D. V. T .; W. F. Benjamin, D. S .; H. S. Strange, D. F. S. ; Lillie Moon, D. T. ; H. P. Webb, D. C .; Robert Cheshire, D. M.
Having enumerated the industries carried on in Roseburg, it may not be out of place to mention one or two very desirable possibilities. There is a sore need of con- venient water facilities, both for fire and for domestic and business purposes. The wells are too warm in summer and catch too much surface water in winter. The South Umpqua flows by upon the west and Deer creek comes sparkling out of the hills on the east. An engine in the one or a hydraulic ram in the other would furnish the city with an unlimited supply of pure and pleasant water. Yet no one has taken the nec- essary steps to accomplish either result. Immense quantities of wool are annually shipped from Roseburg, manufactured in other places and brought back in the form of blankets and cloth. This is altogether unnecessary, for a splendid dam has been thrown across the South Umpqua just south of town, and would, for a small consideration, fur- nish ample power to drive innumerable spindles and looms. But nobody seems dis- posed to furnish the spindles and looms and the power is lost, except the small force which drives the wheel of the flouring mill. There is no place where such business ventures might be followed to more certain success than in Roseburg.
The first newspaper started in Roseburg was the Umpqua Gazette, about 1860-a Democratic, Breckenridge and Lane sheet, which made the campaign of that year lively. It was followed by the Ensign, a Republican journal, in 1868. The papers which are known and remembered to-day are the Plaindealer, inaugurated as a Demo- cratic sheet in 1870, but fell into the hands of Republicans in 1874. It still remains a Republican journal of the straightest sect. The Independent was the organ of the party of that name in 1874. It continued to be supported by former Independents for some time after the party was practically disorganized, but, in 1882, was sold to some Democratic gentlemen and brought into line for that party. It still advocates Jeffersonian principles. There never has been in Roseburg a spicier, newsier sheet than the Democratic Star, inaugurated by Flett and Mosher, in the year 1877, and continued afterward by Floed & Mosher. But it was wrecked upon a ledge of bank- ruptey, and its type and material were added to the stock of its former opponents. There have been sporadic sheets, generally dailies, and usually the evidences of warm opposition or political enthusiasm. Their young lives were invariably crushed out before they had attained sufficient importance to demand a place in history.
Roseburg is proud of her sons who have gone forth from her gates to battle with the world. She has very seldom had occasion to do aught but glory in their victories. Their names are well known. First of all, she was proud of General Joseph Lane, though he was a warrior, in every sense of the word, before Roseburg was dreamed of But he hallowed Roseburg with his presence for many a year, and she will ever keep his memory green, though his noble old head has bowed to the behest of Death and lies resting away the weariness of life in the tomb prepared under his own observation. Of her sons, Rufus Mallory taught school in Roseburg and studied law there under Ex-Governor S. F. Chadwick. The record of these men is too well known to burden the reader by repeating it, as are those of Mosher, Lane, Gibbs, Stratton, and Watson. They, and others, have all reflected great credit upon their mother city.
WALLING -LITH-PORTLAND-DR.
RESIDENCE OF S.I. THORNTON, DEER CREEK VALLEY, DOUGLAS CO.
CHAPTER L.
LOCALITIES SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF ROSEBURG.
Looking-Glass-Flournoy Happy Valley-Ten-Mile-Camas Valley-Civil Bend and Dillard-Myrtle Creek Missouri Bottom-Cow Creek Valley and Riddle-Glendale.
LOOKING-GLASS is the name of an important locality lying west and southwest of Roseburg, and some ten miles distant. The name is applied to a creek, the valley and the small post-office town. The Roseburg and Coos bay road passes through the valley, and the village lies at the junction of that road with another which runs down the valley. The village is situated in section 36, township 27, range 7 west. The valley lies mainly in that township and in township 28, and includes quite a large area of cultivable land lying upon the creek, which, including its main branch, the Olalla, is some thirty miles long. The Looking-glass proper, rises in the mountains north- west of the village, in the western part of township 27, and flows southeastwardly to the South Umpqua, emptying into the latter stream some eight miles south of Rose- burg. The course of the Olalla is from the south, uniting with Looking-glass a mile or two from the village. Looking-glass valley, or prairie, as it is occasionally styled, obtained its name as follows: In 1847 a company of men was organized in Polk county, near the Luckiamute, to explore Southern Oregon. Colonel Ford, HI. B. Flournoy, - Thorp, and others belonged to this band. Going as far south as Rogue river, they returned; and traversing this valley they were impressed with its beauty, and Mr. Flournoy remarked that it looked like a looking-glass, upon which it received its present name. The greater part of the valley land is good, producing regular and certain crops. Northwest stands Mount Arrington, 4,900 feet high, one of the most prominent peaks of the Coast Range, and so named by Evans, a geologist who visited the country in 1853. The first white settler in Looking-glass valley was Daniel Huntley, who came in the fall of 1851. During the previous year H. B. Flournoy had settled in the romantic and lovely valley which bears his name, and these two were almost the only residents of a considerable tract of country. The latter possessed the distinction of being the first white settler west of the South Umpqua river. Later came Milton Huntley, Joseph Huntley, Robert Yates, J. and E. Sheffield, who settled in Looking-glass in 1852. By the fall of the next year nearly the whole valley was covered by donation claims. There are nine sections of level plow land in the valley, all of which was taken up. The country west of the South Umpqua and embracing Looking-glass, Olalla, Ten Mile and Camas suffered considerably in the Indian wars. In 1855 there was a body of Umpqua Indians living on Looking-glass creek, three miles below the present village of Looking-glass. They numbered sixty-four persons, and were supposed to be under the care of J. M. Arrington. On the breaking out of
54
418
SOUTHERN OREGON.
hostilities to the southward, the settlers of the Looking-glass began to observe symp- toms of uneasiness among the Indians, and determined to strike the first blow them- selves. They organized themselves, and attacked the camas-eaters, killing eight of them, and drove the remainder to the mountains. These fugitives afterwards joined the hostile tribes on Rogue river. The attack was made October 28, 1855. Joining the other Indians, these now ill-disposed and perhaps justly revengeful savages came back with a strong party the following December, and burned houses and destroyed property from South Umpqua to South Ten Mile, where they were stayed in their work of desolation. The settlers uniting and being joined by volunteers from various localities, met the aborgines and fought what is known as the Battle of Olalla. In this affray James Castleman was wounded, it being the only casualty sustained by the whites, while the Indians lost one of their principal men, Cow Creek Tom, and seven or eight more died of wounds received in the fight, according to the Indians' own account. This fight took place on the land now belonging to W. R. Wells, Esq. The result was a complete rout of the Indians and recovery of the stock that they had cap- tured. Later, on the twelfth of April, 1856, a company of " minute men " was organ- ized, by authority of the proclamation issued by Governor George L. Curry on the eleventh of March. The company was organized at the school house in Looking-glass, and contained the following members : David Williams, captain ; William H. Stark, first lieutenant ; William Cochran, first sergeant ; Privates, James M. Arrington, John P. Applegate, Willis Alden, Samuel W. K. Applegate, John P. Boyer, Levi Ballard, William Cochran, Roland Flournoy, Samuel S. Halpain, John H. Hartin, Nathaniel Huntley, Daniel Huntley, Joseph Huntley, Alex. M. Johnson, Fred Mitchell, Hilry A. Mitchell, Franklin Mitchell, Edmund F. McNall, Ambrose Newton, William H. Stark, Abbott L. Todd, Franklin White, George W. Williams, David Williams, Jeffer- son Williams, Milton H. Williams, Peter W. Williams.
The village of Looking-glass was laid out in the spring of 1873. The proprietors of the land were P. W. Williams east of the main road, and H. Crow and Isom Cran- field on the west side. The first building erected was a store built by the firm of Hirschfield and Zelinsky. In August, 1876, W. Cochran bought this store and has retained it ever since. After the store followed a blacksmith shop, owned by Wiley Pilkington, a wagonmaking shop by J. H. Hopkins, a hotel by Mrs. C. C. Brown, then a two-story school house, twenty-six by sixty feet in size-a very creditable building. The upper story contains a large hall used by the Grange and Good Templars, and by various sects and societies. The Good Templars still keep up an active organization and have done a great deal to humanize and refine the neighborhood. Thanks to their influence but one saloon exists within the precincts of Looking-glass and that receives but faint support. Mirror Lodge, No. 57 I. O. O. F. was organized in Looking-glass June 3, 1876 by District Deputy Grand Master J. C. Fullerton. Officers: H. P. Wat- kins, N. G .; J. H. Hartin, V. G .; Hayman Zelinsky R. S .; William Cochran, Treasurer.
Looking-glass now [1883] contains one store, dealing in general merchandise, two livery stables, one hotel, one variety store, one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop, a grist mill and fifteen or twenty residences. A daily mail adds to the conveniences of life.
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DOUGLAS COUNTY.
In the vicinity of Looking-glass prairie there are the out-croppings of coal seams. Several of the seams have been explored to more or less extent, and in one or two cases promising results have been obtained. Half a mile west of Daniel Hunt's donation claim, and on section 4, township 28, range 7 west, a vein exists some twelve inches thick of an unexcelled quality. A short tunnel was run npon it and indications con- tinned to strengthen people's belief in the discovery of a paying seam. This however was not the earliest discovery of coal in that vicinity. Two of the best claims yet found were discovered nearly twenty years ago, the one by James Turner, the other by R. M. Gurney. The former was at the time owner of the first saw mill built on Looking- glass creek. The vein was left untouched until a few years ago when means were taken to develop it. Coal of a quality suitable for the manufacture of illuminating gas is said to be furnished by this vein. Joseph Hopkins took measures to work this vein, but the lack of sufficient capital to do so has thus far prevented development. Frank Headrick has undertaken the management of the Gurney mine, and seems determined to ascertain its true value.
FLOURNOR-Two miles west of Looking-glass village and accessible therefrom by the Coos bay stage route lies Flournoy valley, a beautiful little vale of about 2,000 acres, now owned by Messrs. Flournoy, Archambeau, Crow and Jones. The soil is very fertile and productive, and is mostly sowed to wheat. Through this valley runs Flournoy creek, a branch of Looking-glass. The valley was named for its first occu- pant, H. B. Flournoy, who settled there in 1850. Besides the individual achievements of its early settler the valley possesses somewhat of renown derived from various circum- stances, more particularly in the Rogue river wars. Fort Flournoy is a wooden defensive work, built by the settlers in 1855 to protect the people of the vicinity against the savages, but never used as such. It still stands as a memorial of those troublous times, and may be seen now by the antiquary or the curiosity-seeker. It is built of hewed logs in the form of the block houses erected by our fore-fathers to guard against their vindictive neighbors, the Indians. Its size at the base is some sixteen or eighteen feet square, but after rising seven or eight feet the second story is considerably larger- twenty-six or twenty-eight feet square-projecting beyond the outside of the under portion. Loopholes provide opportunity for shooting downward upon opponents who may be engaged in forcing an entrance to the lower story.
HAPPY VALLEY, is situated on the west side of Umpqua river in townships 27 and 28, and ranges 6 and 7 west. It was settled in 1852, by four bachelors-II. Lord, J. T. Carey, Charles Vernon and another-four jolly fellows who gave it the name of Happy Valley. They were followed in 1853, by J. M. Arrington, Henry and Noble Saxton, S. H. Applegate, S. Minard, Wm. Cochran, Elias Capron, A. Ferguson, C. Lehnherr and D. Noah, of whom none but J. M. Arrington and S. Minard now remain in the locality. This valley is about five miles in length, and will average about one mile in width, is very fertile, and is bounded on the east by the South Umpqua, on the west by Looking-glass creek, and on other sides by mountains.
TEN MILE .- Ten Mile valley is situated about sixteen miles from Roseburg, in a southwesterly direction. It is drained by two noted creeks, the Ten Mile and Olalla, the former running east and the latter north. Ten Mile valley averages one and a half miles wide. The two portions of the valley are usually distinguished by the
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SOUTHERN OREGON.
names North Ten Mile and South Ten Mile, the latter being the valley of the Olalla. This latter name it may be observed is a subject of corruption. Some people, not renowned for philological skill, have called it O-lil-ly, with the stress laid upon the O. This, it appears, is the Indian for berries, which were said to be found in profusion on a small tributary of the stream. But the postal authorities, with that fine taste which distinguishes all of Uncle Sam's employes, called the post office on its establishment, Olalla, setting at defiance the principles of etymology, but producing, doubtless, a more satisfactory word.
In the spring of 1853, says Mr. W. R. Wells, there were four or five families settled in Ten Mile, and a few single men, making a total of not over twenty per- sons. These settlers were mostly in poor circumstances as to property, and for a time suffered many inconveniences. Not the least of these was the fear of Indians, which until the close of 1856 kept people in continual suspense. In the summer and fall of 1853 several families came from the Willamette valley and settled in Ten Mile, and some eastern immigrants likewise came in, making a total of perhaps fifty inhabitants. The following winter was remarkable for the privations suffered by them, whose main dependence was wild game, which then abounded. Beef, bacon and other essentials sold at very high prices ; flour cost fifteen cents per pound, and the wheat needed to seed the land cost four dollars per bushel. The crop of 1854 was slight , that of the next year was bountiful ; but just after the latter harvest the Indian troubles began. The natives made hostile demonstrations in December, first making an attack on Hiram Rice's residence, between Ten Mile and Canyonville, breaking Austin Rice's arm with a bullet. The settlers began immediately to take precautions against a surprise, putting themselves in a posture of defense, and gathering the necessary munitions of war to enable them to withstand the hostiles' attack. The enemy for some reason made no further attacks upon the whites, but passed on through South Ten Mile, burning buildings and destroying property. The fate of this band is recorded in the history of Looking-glass.
The remaining history of the valley is less exciting. Settlers came in successively, occupied the land, utilized a portion of it, and made the region what it is to-day-a pleasant abiding place and a productive farming locality. Among the institutions built up by the community are the Methodist Episcopal church, of North Ten Mile, which was organized in 1858. Thomas Coats was class leader, and Thomas O. Olivant and John Olmstead were stewards. The society built a house of worship in 1869. The principal industries of the valley are farming and stock growing. Messrs. Wells & Ireland possess a grist mill, W. R. Wells keeps a store of general merchandise in South Ten Mile, and William Irwin conducts a similar establishment in North Ten Mile. About five miles above the former valley, and on Olalla creek, are certain gold mines, owned by Messrs. Wells & Castile. About three and a half miles from Olalla post office is the Davis gold mine, in which a two hundred and fifty foot tunnel is being or has been excavated. Fifty cents per panful of dirt were secured in prospecting. On Coarse Gold gulch John Fisher owns a claim said to be of value.
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